Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Euctenidiacea
Superfamily : Polyceroidea
Family : Gymnodorididae
Distribution : Widespread in Indo-West Pacific
Maximal size : 30 mm
Abundance : Frequently on the fore reef zone and the rocky coast

Species characteristics :

This Gymnodoris is translucent white, cream, yellow to orange with small orange-yellow spots all over. Each spot is raised on a short pointed papilla
   The front of the mantle is broadly rounded and bears pointed orange-yellow tubercules.
   The rhinophores have a translucent stalk and lower half of the clavus. The upper half of the clavus is uniformly brown or straw coloured.
    The large and branched gills are translucent white or straw coloured.

Philibert Bidgrain

Réunion, Saint Gilles, less 1m, 19 October 2010, size : 15 mm

With its egg masses ??? We need other observations to confirm...

The shape of the spawn is different than Gymnodoris okinawae spawn

Sonia Ribes Beaudemoulin

Reunion, Trou d’eau lagoon, Saint Gilles, less 1 m, under a rock, 22 March 2008, size : 18-20 mm.

3 specimens found during the same day...

(a) The rhinophores have a translucent stalk and lower half of the clavus. The upper half of the clavus is uniformly brown to straw. They have 15 vertical lamellae, and a swollen club at the distal end

(b) The front of the mantle is broadly rounded and bears pointed orange-yellow tubercules. When animals are active, these pustules elongate so as to ressemble papillae

Philibert Bidgrain

Mayotte, mtsanga Mboueanatsa, on the reef flat zone, less 1m, 5 August 2008, size : 30 mm

The gills which are large and branched. They are translucent white or straw, cream to yellow coloured.

The front of the mantle is broadly rounded and bears pointed orange-yellow tubercules. When animals are active, these pustules elongate so as to ressemble papillae

Philibert Bidgrain

Mayotte, mtsanga Mboueanatsa, on the reef flat zone, less 1m, 13 October 2008, size : 20 mm

The genital aperture is situated on the right side half way between the rhinophores and the gills. On this photo you can see the genital paplla between the rhinophores and the gills.

Sonia Ribes Beaudemoulin

Reunion, Trou d’eau lagoon, Saint Gilles, less 1 m, under a rock, 22 March 2008, size : 18-20 mm.

In some specimens two rows of orange-yellow pointed papilla form a slightly asymmetrical V-shaped pattern on either side of the branchiae.

Alain Barrére

Reunion, "Le cimetière", Saint Leu lagoon, less 1m, 10 November 2004, size : 10-15 mm

This Gymnodoris is translucent white with small orange-yellow spots all over. Each spot is raised on a short pointed papilla

Eva Fontaine

Mayotte, mtsanga jimaweni, on the reef flat zone, less 1m, 23 October 2008, size : 15 mm

Sophie Darnis

Reunion, "Zone saliba" at Saint Gilles, 30m, 1 September 2007, size : 30-35 mm

This Gymnodoris is translucent white, cream, yellow to orange with small orange-yellow spots all over

Sometimes there is an orange line on the outer edge of each gills axis

Christophe Cadet

Reunion, Etang salé, on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 2 October 2009, size : 20 mm,

This Gymnodoris is translucent white, cream,yellow to orange with small orange-yellow spots all over

Christophe Cadet

Reunion, Etang salé, on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 4 October 2009

In this specimen the posterior end of the foot is tipped with orange (a)

Alain-Benoît Rassat

Madagascar, Patate Sud, Nosy Bé, 5 m, 15 April 2016, size : 40 mm